• Offered for Year: 2025/26

• Module Leader(s): Dr Stella Mygdali

• Owning School: Architecture, Planning & Landscape
• Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus

Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Aims

This module aims to enable students to research ideas and develop coherent architectural designs while integrating knowledge and understanding of the thematic areas of the syllabus and mastering the skills in architectural design whereby these ideas will find expression.
The module builds upon the foundation of architectural knowledge established in Stages 1 and 2.

In particular, the module objectives are that the student will be able to demonstrate through architectural design:

• Awareness, knowledge, and understanding of the disciplines which inform architectural design (design principles, technology and environment, cultural context, histories and theories of architecture, professional practice and management, and communication skills) appropriate to moderately complex, coherent, architectural designs.

• Knowledge and understanding of the interdependence of architectural studies in the context of architectural design – core bodies of knowledge, most important contexts, and principles and applications.

• The ability to produce coherent architectural design up to the level of a moderately complex building with the ability to integrate knowledge and understanding of the social and aesthetic requirements, building technologies, environmental design, and construction methods.

• Related awareness, knowledge, and understanding of the experiential and tectonic qualities of architecture appropriate to these levels of complexity.

• A personal philosophical and ethical approach as a basis for thinking about design. An awareness of different ways of practicing architecture and how this relates to their values.

• An awareness of the architect's responsibility to consider safety, inclusive design, wellbeing, end-user needs. and the climate crisis in design propositions.

• An ability in using appropriate visual, verbal, and written communication methods to test, appraise, and represent ideas and designs up to the scale of a moderately complex building.

• An awareness of the importance of working with others (clients, communities, colleagues) and the development of appropriate personal 'professional' skills such as honesty, integrity, and time management.

Outline Of Syllabus

A year-long studio project comprising a number of discrete stages. Aspects of the studio project are used for reference and illustration in the related module ARC3016. Students are allocated one studio for the year from a range of studios – each with their own distinct approach to architecture.
Throughout the year, at cross-studio reviews, students are made aware of other studios’ methods and outputs to contextualise their own practice.

ARC3001 Architectural Design 3 builds upon the learning and skills developed in Stages 1 and 2 through an increased complexity in architectural design. The module builds upon the idea of integrated production introduced in Stage 2, requiring students to synthesise multiple aspects of architectural design, ranging from social contexts, construction and materiality, professional and ethical concerns, including climate aware design, and fire and life safety regulatory frameworks.

The module also seeks to enhance students’ use of visual, verbal, and written communication, to both test and represent appropriate design ideas and strategies.

Time is spent considering design method and students are expected to reference historic and contemporary precedents in this regard and be reflective of their practice.

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities

Jointly Taught With

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Architectural Design 3 aims to consolidate, develop, and expand on the key design skills gained during Stages 1 and 2.

The module consists of one, year-long, design project organised into discrete stages. The project is delivered through a studio model. Studios offer a range of design contexts and pedagogies all culminating in a building of similar scale and complexity. Each studio adheres to the same overall year structure and milestones designed to meet the learning outcomes of the module. The projects are developed to encourage critical and reflective thinking at all scales of design, from conceptual through to material and tectonic declarations of intent.

The module relies on specialist teaching knowledge and practice from both internal staff contributors, as well as external contributors from professional architecture practice and/or contributors with specialist knowledge of specific aspects of architectural design, practice or adjacent creative disciplines (e.g. fine arts, photography).

At key points throughout each Semester the student is expected to declare both process and outcomes and an emphasis will be placed on the effective communication of ideas in a variety of formats. Students are given guided flexibility within each studio to develop their own aspects of the brief or site selection. Each of the studios entails a variety of group and individual tasks. Students are encouraged to share their studio’s methodologies and outputs through stage reviews and cross-studio presentations. This includes collation and curation of content to inform studio-wide exhibitions and events, as well as small group exhibitions of specific content related to the development of studio design projects. Peer learning is also encouraged through studio exercises and student participation in reviews and seminars. The participation in a lively and vibrant studio culture that fosters a culture of debate and develops both oral and graphic confidence is a key part of the student learning experience.

SYNCHRONOUS AND NON-SYNCHRONOUS HOURS
While there is both synchronous and non-synchronous learning and teaching activity for all modules across the programme, structured guided learning is weighted towards non-design modules and scheduled learning and teaching activity hours are weighted towards Architectural Design modules. The latter is a reflection of:
- A design studio pedagogy which is centred on a dialogic and responsive approach to students' own research and creative work.
- Student feedback and high student attendance at weekly online Architectural Design Stage briefings (module talks) during the period of remote teaching in 2020.
- Architectural pedagogy is reliant on a high proportion of independent learning to support the design process and the MOF hours are consistent with this approach.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Other Assessment

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

TEAMWORK – Exhibition (5% of final mark):
Working collectively in studio groups, students will develop an exhibition that responds to key themes from their chosen studio brief. Any students that do not contribute to, or have fallen short of, the prescribed scope and criteria of teamwork, will fail the assessment of this component.

INDIVIDUAL WORK – Theory Into Practice Reflective Report (5% of final mark):
This assessment asks students to develop written reflections on the theory, ideas, and methods that inform their developing design work and practice.

INDIVIDUAL WORK – Design Portfolio (90% of final mark)
Individual design projects are formatively assessed at key stages throughout the academic year and are given a progress mark. The summative assessment of individual design project work will take place at the end of Semester 2, assessed holistically as a portfolio and awarded a final mark (%). This allows students to reflect, amend and develop individual design project work before the final portfolio submission at the end of Semester 2. The assessment criteria will integrate the aspects detailed below along with two studio specific marking criteria that will be assigned by individual studios.

Criteria for assessment:
Design Process: assesses the quality, depth, and rigour of students’ development of their design ideas. Students are expected to demonstrate evidence of rigorous, detailed research, set out a clear design brief, select appropriate methods for iterating design ideas, and reference relevant design precedents and methods;

Design Proposition: assesses the quality, relevance, control, articulation and functionality of the overall architectural design proposal. Students are expected to evidence an appropriate and controlled design solution that articulates the balance of user needs, contextual integration, spatial articulation, spatial quality, experiential considerations, and a clear response to the climate crisis. Students are expected to evidence how their design proposals developed from their process work, the consequences of their design decisions and how they respond to a project and studio specific ethical framework;

Communication and representation: assesses the control, accuracy, composition, clarity and detail within a student’s representation of their design project work. The communication needs to be relevant to the projects line of enquiry and evidence atmosphere, inhabitation and response to context;

Construction and Material: assesses students’ research, judgement and integration of construction, material, and environmental thinking within the design proposal. Students are expected to demonstrate an understanding of material, constructional, and environmental design principles and evidence the appropriateness of these principles in relation to their overall design project.

Studio specific assessment criteria are assigned by individual studios. One criteria must address the 'ethical framework' informing design decision making and assessing students’ critical response and judgement of important relational contexts connected to their studio brief. Students are expected to demonstrate ability in developing and structuring a clear line of inquiry for their projects, drawing on appropriate precedents and making reference to social, political, cultural, historical, environmental, material, and professional contexts. The second assessment criteria can be more openly determined by the individual studio teaching team in dialogue with module leaders. Typically, this second assessment criteria draws upon specific themes pertinent to individual studio briefs.

Reading Lists

• ARC3001's Reading List

Timetable

• Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
• ARC3001's Timetable